Concrete block handling tool



Nov. 3, 1953 L. F. LOOZE CONCRETE BLOCK HANDLING TOOL 2 Sheets-Shea 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1950 INVENTOR- ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1953 L. F. LOOZE CONCRETE BLOCK HANDLING TOOL INVENTOR 2 W M 2 j 3 3 Wm 4. r 3 f v 5 1 AIM w w v a w 0 a m P! ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in tools or implements for facilitating the handling. and laying of concrete and like building blocks.

One of its objects is to provide a tool of this character which is so designed and constructed as to facilitate the laying of the blocks in properly spaced and alined relation both vertically and horizontally of the building wall.

Another object of the invention is to provide a block handling tool which is self-adjustable.to accommodate the handling of blocks of different widths and which is so constructed as to be readily adaptable to the handling of half-blocks.

- Figure 4. Figure 6 is a fragmentarycross section taken substantially on line 6-6, Figure 2. Figure 7 is an end view of the tool in gripping engagement with a block of less width than that depicted in Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the tool consists of a laterally-expansible frame to releasably receive and grip a building block of concrete, cinder or similar composition, such frame being of open rectangular design composed of laterally-spaced, substantially upright front and rear end bars or legs 10, II which are adapted to embrace the upper half of a building block and from the upper ends of which extend opposing inclined suspension arms l2 pivoted intermediate their ends to each other at l3 and to the ends of a longitudinal handle bar 14 spanning such end bars. Beyond their pivots these suspension arms are pivotally connected by links I5 to the ends of a second handle bar I 6 companion and parallel to the handle bar l4, so that by grasping the handle bars with one hand and drawing them together the frame is caused to expand to an open position, shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, to receive a block for laying or release ablock after laying. Substantially at the junction of the cross arms I 2 with their companion pendant side bars I 0, II and yieldingly connecting the same are transversely-disposed springs I! which normally serve to urge and retain the frame in its contracted position for clamping engagement with the block during handling. The handle bars l4, I8 may be covered with a rubber tubing or the like for gripping purposes.

Joined to the lower opposite ends of the blockembracing frame-arms I0, II and pivoted intermediate their upper and lower ends at 8 for swiveling-like movement transversely relatively thereto are upright block-engaging members [9 having springs 20 coiled about the pivots thereof with one end of each spring bearing against the adjoining frame-arm and the opposing end thereof bearing against the companion blockengaging member for yieldingly urging it fiatwise against the face of the block being handled, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, wherein the tool is depicted with blocks of different widths. Rigidly secured to the outer faces of these block-engaging members adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof are companion upper and lower longitudinal side or tie bars 2| and 22, respectively, the upper bars 2| extending forwardly beyond the companion block-engaging members It at one end of the tool to provide tongues or extensions 23 which are adapted to abut laterally against the opposite sides of the opposing end of an adjoining laid block as the tool carrying the block about to be laid is brought into endwise relation to such previously laid block, to thereby assure proper longitudinal alinement of the blocks as they are laid endwise one against the other. To properly position a block in its endwise relation to the tool and to provide a mortar space between such block and the end of an adjoining laid one, the front or companion ends of the lower side bars 22 extend beyond the adjoining upright members [9 and terminate in inwardly directed or lateral block-engaging lugs 24 which are adapted to abut at their outerfaces against the opposing end of a laid block as the block borne by the tool and about to be laid is brought into an operative block-laying position. It will be noted that the lower ends 25 of the pivoted blockengaging members l9, when the tool is in the block-laying position shown by full lines in Figure -2, extend below the mortar space between superposed blocks and overlie the upper opposite side faces of the subjacent block to provide lateral bearing gages which function to aline the blocks vertically as they are laid.

For the purpose of releasably effecting a proper vertical mortar spacing of the blocks in a true horizontal position, the tool-frame is provided with displaceable gaging elements 26 which serve to properly support the frame-carried block about to be laid and, after being laid, are adapted to be displaced to a position to readily effect the release of the tool from the weight of the block so as to thereafter enable the tool to be freely expanded and removed from. operative engagement with the laid block. One of these displaceable elements 23 is provided adjacent the lower end of each pivoted block-engaging member l3 below the lower frame-bars 2-2-:and"each:faces inwardly and is attached to a trunnion 21 free to revolve about a horizontal axis in said com panion member and havinga. crank arm 28 fixedon its outer end. The crank arms at each side of the frame are pivotally connected by 'linl s"20 to the opposite ends of a swiveling and axiallyshiftable actuating handle 30 pivoted tat 3| centrally of thecompanion lower frame-bar 22. Secured to'the latter about the pivot 3| is a segmental-shaped plate 32 having spaced ears 83 projecting outwardly from its upper edge and between which the actuating handle is centrally retained in an upright position when the displaceable elements 28 are in their vertical or normal block-supporting position, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. A spring 34 connected at one end to thehandle -pivot and at its other end to the handle serves to yieldingly: urge the latter laterally inward into latched relation between the plateears 33, while springs:35 connected at one end to the. companionu-linksle and at theirother ends 3 to .the adjoining frame-bar 22 serve to urge the companion cranks 28 andtheir'displaceable. elements20 to their normal block-sustaining posi tion, shown by full lines in Figure 4, with the operating handle 30 in its upright latched positionu .In'the released position of the displaceable elements 26, shown by dot-dash lines in the same figure, the operating handle assumes a horizontal position'and it is frictionally retained in such positionbetween the outer face of segmental plate 32 and a yieldable lug 38 formed on such plate. As shown-in Figure l, the angularly displaceable elements 28 are of substantially flat, rectangular 1 or 'sweb-like shape,z.-sothat--When: they are displaced to a released position, they are clear of edgewise contact with the. opposing faces of the superposed blocks, and when the frame is .expanded these elements will freely disengage from between the'blocks.

This tool is also designed to facilitate the laying: 1

of half or shorterv than fulllength'blocks and for. this purpose I provide means .substantially centrally of the frame :for supportingsuch smaller sized'block to supplement'the front displaceable For this purpose, each segmental.

elements 26. plate '32 has an inwardly extending fixed lug 31 centrally'of its lower edge which, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, projects sufliciently inwardly from the adjoining lower frame bar 22 to form a supporting ledge for the outer end portion of the:

block being handled,

I claim as my invention:

1. A tool of the character described,=comprising a, substantially rectangular, laterally-expansible frame including laterally-spaced pendant bars at its front and rear ends, companion front and rear block-engaging members fulcrumed intermediate their upper and lower ends to said companion framebars in pendant, transverse swiveling rela- Lil tion thereto, means in operative relation to said members for yieldingly urging them toward bear-'- endwise-alined Lblock, andtangularily displaceable block-supporting" and gaging elements" rotatably mounted on the lower ends of said members.

2. A tool for handling building blocks, comprisingasubstantially rectangular, laterally-expansible frame including laterally-spaced pendant bars at its front and rear ends with handle bars for governing the expanding movements of the frame and yieldable means for normally urging said==-frame to a contracted position, blockgripping members fulcrumed intermediate their upper and lower ends to said frame-bars to swing laterally. thereof and having: springs :coiled about the fulcrums thereof and, bearing at oneend against said members for urging "them into facial contact with a block, said members havingportions-aboveand below their fulcrums for alining a blockborne by-the tool With adjoining.=1aid blocks; angularly-disp'laceable block-supporting and gaging elements rotatably mounted adjacent the lower ends of said members, andmeans operupper and lower'longit-udirial' tie bars connecting the'front and rear pendantmembers ateach-side of the frame, the upper tie barshaving forwardlyfacing extensions'at one end for facial alining contact with the opposite sidesof anendwisealined block and thelower tie bars having inwardly directed'lugs thereon for abutting contact -with the end 'of an adjoining laid block, angularly-displaceable block-supporting and gaging elements mounted on the lower' ends of said block-engaging members, and actuatingrhandles fulcrumedsubstantiallycentrally on the lower tie bars and operatively connected to the companion displaceable elements for actuating them'to and froma block-releasing position:

LOUIS F. LOO ZE; I

References -Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 171,413 'Nelson Dec. 21, 1875 814,926 Weiss Mar. 13, 1906 905,010 Simmons Nov. 24, 1908 1,573,263 Madden Febflfi, 1926 2,543,716 Carini Feb. 27, 1951 2,543,717 Carini' Feb. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,780 Great Britain Apr.'14, 1913 479,680 France Sept.7, I915 

